KROQ Epicenter Twenty-Ten Day One Recap

Most of the time, in life, you can prepare yourself for the future.  However, Day one of Epicenter Twenty-Ten was not one of these things.  Between the scorching heat, the electric crowds and the non-stop music, we felt like everything was stacked up against our festival experience.

Too bad good music triumphed all, making Fontana famous for more than just the Auto Club Speedway.  From The Envy, to Bush’s reunion to KISS, great live music made people from all over look past the horrendous triple digit heat  and towards the good stuff.

• The Envy kicked off Epicenter 2010.  The Toronto band proved why Gene Simmons signed them to his label when they began the show with a bang.
• Deuce proved there is life beyond Hollywood Undead when his band took the stage.  Despite mic problems, he rocked Epicenter completely.
• Kinda Major could have peaked by spraying the crowd with water, but they didn’t blow their load too quickly as they brought out the guitarist from Puddle of Mudd, surprising their fans with a special guest performance.
• The Crash Kings were one of the early highlights of Epicenter 2010.  The KROQ band played their radio hit and then followed up with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” which matched the vibe of the oppressive heat.
• Smile Empty Soul punched out angsty teen lyrics to reclaim their fan base at Epicenter 2010.
• Depsite the fact that Big Boi‘s DJ started out the set saying that the heat was melting his vinyl, the other half of Outkast, really pumped up the volume at Epicenter 2010 playing all of his hits while a waft of green from the audience took over.
• After inadvertently having lunch with KROQ’s digital department, the brothers from The Knux took the stage and showed all of Fontana how they do it in New Orleans.
• At what felt like the hottest part of the day, the guys from Papa Roach took the stage, spitting water on our photographer to cool him down.
• Big B and his White Trash Hooligans aka. Baby Juggalos instilled juggalo fear in our writer Nadia while rocking the Monster Stage.
• Frontman Gavin Rossdale took the stage with a reunited Bush after a nearly decade long hiatus on stage, killing their set and driving female fans wild.
• All of House of Pain came together to play the Monster Stage right as the sun officially set, covering a worthy rendition of Dr. Dre’s “Next Episode.”
• Eminem might not have allowed us to photograph him or broadcast his set on our live webcast, but he pleased all his fans with a set that will have people talking about for years to come.
• KISS slayed the crowd with their amazing act that included everything they are famous for.  Including, pyrotechnics, an amazing stage setup and of course copious amounts of blood spitting.